Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-12-17
SAM. P. HOUSTON.
SOMETHING ABOUT HIS YOUNG
LIFE,
And How He Came to Leave the Guber-
Material Chair OF Tennessee in
Eighteen Hundred and Twen-
ty-eight.
To the Chronicles:

To the Chronicle:
The rumor that Governor Houston sought
the Western praries because Of degrading
confession OF his wife, Is one OF rare strange
ness. II Is also different from any statement
have heard or read concerning that separa-
tlon. BY far the nsost agreeable, II not humor-
GUS explanations of that affair was made TO
me by brother army surgeon OF the c. 5. A.
during the war. We were discussing the
probable results after the enactment of the
conscript law. "Well, he remarked, "do you
know what caused this war;" My answer
was differences Of opinion in reference 70
slavery. "Not at all, sir; sore on amans
leg caused this trouble" Observing my smiles
he said, "You laugh, but I'll tell you II Is true
and 1t happened this way There was once
very remarkable man who became Governor
OF Tennessee, and during his gubernatorial
term married an estimable daughter OF an
excellent gentleman Of that State. In a few
days, perhaps on the morning following the
nuptial ceremony, the charming bride inhal-
ed an odor sufficiently disagreeable to extort
the inquiry from her, what Is that smells so
d.sssreeably?' To this question the distin-
guished Governor replied, My dear, while
was engaged in deadly combat with Indians,
was wounded on the leg, and 1t has never
healed, and 1t is from that wound that the
bad smell comes. The fastidious lady was so
Mortified at the idea of having married O man
having on his leg an incurable sore, that she
ordered her carriage, returned to her fathers
and never would see him again. Then GOV.
Houston abdicaied the Goyernorship OF Ten
nessee, and sought the romantic wiids of the
Western plains and became an honored In
dian commander There on a lovely day as
he was reclining on the grassy sward amidst
his admiring Indian soldiers, thinking no
doubt of the additional ana more brilliant
bonors his talonts.would have won had he re-
mained among his congenial friends, news
paper was handed him announcing that Texas
was erdeayoring to tear away from Mexican
thraldom and establish her independence.
His great soul, always In sympathy with
those who struggled for liberty, was of once
| aroused in behalf OF the Texans and arising
from his grassy couch his thrillng eloquence
gathered an Indian legion, who followed him
! to Texas and fought under him at the mem
orable battle OF Jaclnto, and but for the ming
ling of Indian blood with that OF the heroic
Texans, Santa Anna would not have been
vanquished on. that bloody feld.p In this
way, he said 1t comes There would have
been no disrupting agitation of slavery but
for the acquisition of territory there would
] have been no acquisition OF territory but for
the assistance Of the Indians at San Jaclnto
there would have been no Indians there but
for Sam Houston having become an Indian
commander; Houston would not have been
an Indian commander but for his having alb
dicated the Governorship of Tennessee Hons
ton would not have abdicated the guberna-
torial chair OF Tennessee but for his wife's
having left him, and she would not have left
him but FOR the sore on his leg.
A. J. WILSON.
Trenton, KY, December 10, 1887.